23 April 2016

Airbus has installed in the MSN59, the 1st
A350-1000 prototype, the same Emergency escape hatch for test-crew that was installed in the MSN1, the first A350-900
prototype.

Source: Airbus

The main cargo door, manufactured in Korea
by KAI wil not be flying on the first set of test-flights of the MSN59. As it occurred
in the MSN1 first flight prototype.

Each test flight is operated by a crew of 2
pilots and 3 flight engineers, who monitor the stream of data flowing from a
multitude of sensors into a bank of computers installed in the middle of the
cabin

Source: Airbus

On
all seats is a parachute. If
things should go terribly awry and the crew needs to evacuate, a bright-orange
railing leads them from the cockpit door to a hatch in the floor above the
forward cargo door.

By pulling a lever, the crew can trigger a set of explosive charges that will blow a hole in the right side of the fuselage. They can then leap down a slide, through the hole, and into the air.

18 April 2016

Airbus has
modified the thrust-reverser actuation system of production A350-900s after a
failure of a locking mechanism on an in-service aircraft.

The locking
actuator was removed from the jet after several failure messages, and
investigators found that it failed a primary lock integrity test, said the
European Aviation Safety Agency.

EASA stated
that the component can be affected by internal contamination from carbon dust,
and that this can affect the retention capability of the actuator.

Source: Airbus

EASA said 2
out of 3 retention mechanisms of the thrust reversers can potentially be
affected by the problem, which would leave only the 3rd system – a lock
employing a different design – for retention.

Airbus has
introduced a new thrust-reverser actuation system standard into A350
production, after Goodrichcorrected the problem.

EASA has
ordered in-service A350s to be modified to the same standard, within 750 cycles
since first flight.

Goodrich
Aerospace Europe (part of UTC Aerospace Systems' Aerostructures) is producing
the thrust reversers in a new dedicated building at its Toulouse site, with a 50.000-square-foot thrust
reverser robotic production area with a moving assembly line.

Goodrich
is providing all three members of the A350 XWB family's nacelle and thrust
reverser system, wheels and carbon brakes, air data system and ice detection
system, external video system and cabin attendant seats.

Additionally,
for the new A350-1000, Goodrich is providing the main landing gear.

Based on the article “A350 thrust-reversers modified after
lock flaw” published in FlightGlobal.

03 April 2016

“You cannot expect to have no problems,” said
Didier Evrard, Airbus EVP for programs, who run the A350 program until the end
of 2014.

“But what is
important is that you take immediate action once something comes up. We have
innovated quite a bit in the way we work.”

Evrard believes
the goal of 98.5% dispatch reliability can be reached within 1-2 years.

Source: Airbus

A large
dedicated team inside Airbus is dealing with the A350 2 hours per day, and Didier
Evrard has instructed the team to immediately escalate any serious and new
issues to his management level to ensure things are properly addressed.

Airbus
detected 3 areas that have needed particular attention in the A350 operation.

First, the
system that has created the most logbook entries so far is the onboard network
that hosts all MRO applications.

According to Marc
Virilli (Senior Director - Customer Services at Airbus), some human-machine
interface improvements as well as software updates were needed.

“We have
issued an evolution of the system which has already been implemented on the
Qatar and Vietnam Airlines fleets, and we are seeing a decrease in the number
of reports,” he said.

The rerelease
has eliminated a number of software bugs that also affected communications
between the aircraft and the ground.

Second,
Airbus was forced to issue a number of service bulletins and to remove some
galley inserts, such as ovens or coffeemakers, because of leaks.

The leaks are
related to a supplier that Airbus declines to identify.

But Virilli
said that after corrective action was taken, the number of reports has come
down 50%.

And third,
the bleed system’s over heating detection has issued nuisance warnings that
have caused some operational disruption.

Airbus
retrofitted a sensor connection using gold-plated connectors, and the issue has
been eliminated.

Marc Virilli
said “a combination of several factors” was affecting Qatar’s operations; some
have improved while others are still being addressed, but in general, the overall
situation has stabilized.

Meanwhile,
Finnair has experienced “the expected amount of small technical issues that can
typically be addressed by resetting the system.” Rather than a clear pattern,
there have been “isolated things here and there”. However, Finnair has noticed
a slightly higher use of spare parts in the cabin.

Based on the article “A350 Dispatch Reliability By Daniel Omale” pubished in Jimi Disu´s blog.

31 March 2016

The A350-900 will
be able to fly even farther from 2020, thanks to increased fuel efficiency and
an optional increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 280-tonne.

Source: Rami Khanna-Prade

The standard
A350-900 (currently offered as a 268-tonne aircraft), will have the same MTOW
as the recently launched Ultra Long Range A350-900 ULR version ordered by
Singapore Airlines.

Additionally, Airbus has already developed a 278-tonne MTOW
higher gross weight version for Philippine Airlines and its transpacific
services.

Source: Rami Khanna-Prade

At the same time, the company will give the aircraft 2%
reduction in fuel burn, with 1% coming from aerodynamic improvements, while the
other 1% will come from changes within the Rolls-Royce XWB-84 engine.

Airbus says the combined MTOW increase and efficiency
improvements will nudge the A350-900’s range up by an additional 500 nautical
miles(covering a distance of 8,100
nautical miles), if the aircraft is carrying 325 passengers in a 3-class
configuration.

Source: Rami Khanna-Prade

“Airlines have pushed us in two directions on the A350,”
Airbus EVP-strategy Kiran Rao said in London, pointing out that the A350-900 is
being offered in a regional configuration with down-rated engines as well as in
the ULR variant.

Rao said airlines increasingly wanted flexibility within
their fleets, with the option of moving regional aircraft into long-haul
operations.

By offering the higher-takeoff weight option into the
standard A350-900 provides more flexibility depending on airline requirements,
Airbus believes.

“We can take a regional aeroplane and turn it into
ultra-long range, and vice versa,” said Rao.

“We are creating a flexible aircraft, and airlines buy into
flexibility.

Source: Airbus

Rao gave few details about the aerodynamic performance
improvements, but the company says they have been flown and tested.

Based on the
article “Airbus To Offer 280-tonne MTOW A350-900” published in Aviation Daily

29 March 2016

Airbus is considering
adding a small lower deck to the A350-1000 jet to accommodate lavatories and
kitchens.

This is not a new idea as
it has been configured in some A330 and A340 as shown in the pictures, depending on cargo storage planned by each airline.

Source: Rafael Reca

Shifting these 'service
areas' off the main deck would free up significant amounts of space for more seats
in both business class and economy class, Airbus said.

"The average
passenger doesn't want to sit next to a lav and doesn't want to sit next to a
galley" explained Kiran Rao, Airbus Executive Vice-President for Strategy
and Marketing.

Source: Mario Aurich

"As we move these
service areas out of the passenger cabin we create space for more seats without
compromising on comfort."

"So we are looking
to utilize the under-floor area of the A350-1000 for galleys and lavs,"
Rao said at the launch of the aircraft manufacturer's Airspace cabin concept in
London.

The space beneath the
passenger deck is typically used for cargo but "on long aircraft you can't
fill it all with cargo" Rao said, adding that this could mean larger
galleys which would "give the cabin crew a nicer area to work in."

Although the A350-1000
will typically carry 366 passengers, freeing up space occupied by galleys and
lavatories could boost the seat count closer to the 400 mark.

28 March 2016

Airbus is showing
a select group of airlines a stretched version of the A350-1000.

The
idea is to get enough feedback from potential customers so that a decision to
go ahead or not can be made during the summer.

What has changed
now it that the A350-1000 is taking form on the Airbus Toulouse Final Assembly
Line (FAL) and Airbus can now see that the A350-1000 will hit its performance
and weight numbers.

Source: A380_TLS_A350

Airbus also has a
lot of learning from the A350-900 which makes it confident that an A350-1000
stretch can be made with rather small changes.

The A350-1000 is very close in capacity to the Boeing 777-300ER,
yet is considerable lighter; it is made with more modern construction
techniques, it is equipped with a more modern engine and it has only 4 door
pairs.

Source: Grupo Joly

This gives the A350-1000 a distinctive performance advantage.

Staying with 4 door pairs, the total length of the aircraft can
only be stretched with around 4m before the distance between exit doors go
beyond the allowed 60 feet.

As no additional safety exits will be necessary, such an extension
will increase the aircraft’s capacity to around 400 seats.

Leahy has said that the favoured engine alternative is a stretched
variant of the A350-1000 engine Rolls-Royce TWB 97k.

By staying within the exit limits of 4 door pairs (max capacity
440 seats), a capacity increase of 40 seats is possible with minimal changes to
other parts of the aircraft.

Source: Airbus

This would enable a 400 seat aircraft which has a 7,600nm range
with a MTOW which is below 320t.

This is a full 32t less than a competing Boeing 777-9 that has
only a marginally higher passenger capacity.

Source: Airbus

The lower take-off and empty weight would give an A350-1000
stretch around 10% lower trip costs and around 5% lower seat mile costs.

Based on the article “Airbus exploring higher
capacity A350” published in Leeham
News

15 March 2016

Airbus will spare no effort to be the dominant player
in China, with its president and CEO pledging a personal commitment to the
manufacturer's partnerships in the country.

Source: FranceBleu

Speaking to the
media ahead of the groundbreaking of its A330 completion and delivery centre in
Tianjin, the manufacturer’s first outside of its European home ground, Airbus
chief Fabrice Bregier said he first mooted the idea of the widebody facility 2
years ago, believing it to be a necessary step to capture China’s ballooning
demand for larger jets.

“So, we are
targeting widebodies in China and focusing first on the A330," said
Bergier.

Source: FranceBleu

"We’re also looking for partners to make sure
A330 production will remain at high levels, and came to the conclusion that we
could not do that without also having a strong industrial footprint.”

True enough, China signed for 45 A330s when Airbus
inked the agreement for the A330 completions line, and later also firmed
options for a further 30 of the type.

Source: Airbus

Bregier pointed out that the 75 A330s are the largest
order for widebodies from China thus far.

He described this as “only the beginning of a very
long and successful journey”.

Once operational in 2017, Tianjin will become the 3rd
city in the world to deliver both narrowbody and widebody aircraft, after
Toulouse and Seattle.

Source: FranceBleu

Airbus also
intends to extend the line to complete the A330neo and A350 in the future, knowing
full well the importance of the market, which absorbs about 20% of its annual
aircraft production.

Bregier contended that its A320 final assembly line in
Tianjin has played a critical role to grow its China marketshare from 27% in
2004 to the current 50%.

Source: Airbus

He therefore
does not rule out the possibility of setting up a widebody production line in
the country, but points
out that Airbus does not at current have a business case to do so. Widebody
assembly, he says, is “more complex and costly”.

“China has focused, rightly so, on single-aisle a lot
and will continue to procure lots of single-aisles, but I’m sure the next step
will be getting more widebodies. So perhaps one day there will be enough market
to look at such an investment.”

“We have to be realistic, we will not get 80% of the
Chinese market. Being above 50% is my target. In the coming years there will be
new players such as Comac, this is why we support our commercial efforts
through this very important A330 completion centre investment.”

Based on the article “Airbus chief discusses China production strategy”
published in Flight Global.

11 March 2016

Emirates
President Tim Clark faulted Airbus for lacking a coherent strategy on
its biggest airplanes, saying Airbus should focus on an upgrade of its A380
rather than spend resources on yet another variant of its A350 model.

Source: Getty Images

Emirates
scrapped a deal for 70 A350s (50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000 in Jun/2014) and is
currently weighing the A350-900 against Boeing’s 787-9 and 787-10.

Emirates is
also the world’s leading wide-body operator, with 140 A380 orders and currently
75 planes in the fleet.

Source: Singapore Airlines

Airbus’s
thinking has become increasingly hard to read and talk of further extending the
stretched A350-1000 makes little sense, Clark said adding that he’s not sure
the manufacturer could afford to fund that project alongside the upgraded
A380 he’s keen to buy.

“There seems
to be a certain amount of cloudiness,” Clark said. “They’ve got the A380neo and
then bingo, out pops the new A350-1000. I’m not quite sure how that’s going to
pan out.”

Source: Airbus

Airbus’s
increasing focus on a double-stretch A350 is of less interest to Emirates
because the plane would compete with the largest version of Boeing’s revamped
777X - an aircraft it’s already taking.

Clark said a
bigger A350 would add weight and create issues at airports because of the extra
length.

Leahy said
last week that Airbus isn’t interested in swaying Gulf carriers that are buying
the 777X, adding that he’d prefer to “optimize an airplane” for customers such
as United Airlines and British Airways that don’t require the performance to
operate from very hot desert environments.

Based on the article “Emirates Blasts Airbus for Confused
Strategy on Wide-Body Jets” published in Bloomberg

04 March 2016

Airbus is in active discussions with various Chinese airlines regarding the A350 because Airbus is confident that it is the right aircraft for Chinese airlines to operate to Europe and North America.

Source: Airbus

Air China is Airbus’ only A350 Chinese customer, with an order for 10 A350-900s.

But the lack of early available delivery slots for the A350 is a major challenge for Airbus as it pitches the type to Chinese customers.

Source: A380_TLS_A350

“Our industrial constraint is that you need to place the order well in advance to ensure delivery at a given period… so with 800 A350s being ordered, of course it’s a mathematical exercise,” said Airbus China president and chief executive Eric Chen.

Source: Airbus

The problem in particular for Chinese customers, is that they plan their fleet requirements in 5-year periods, and are cautious when it comes to ordering aircraft beyond that timeframe. The next five year period covers 2016 to 2020.

03 March 2016

Singapore Airlines has become the 5th A350 XWB operator with the delivery of its 1st aircraft last Tuesday 2/March .

Source: @DawnTanCNA

Singapore Airlines’ aircraft has been configured with a 253 seats layout in 3-classes; 42 Business Class, 24 Premium Economy and 187 Economy.

Altogether the airline has ordered 67 A350-900s. 7 of the aircraft will be delivered with an ultra-long range capability for flights of up to 19 hours, allowing the carrier to resume non-stop flights to Los Angeles and New York.

Source: Airbus

To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 783 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 42 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.

The airline is planning to start commercial services from 8/March on regional routes to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. The first long-haul service commences on 9/May.

Here are the initial routes:

Singapore – Kuala Lumpur; between 8/March and 8/May

Singapore – Jakarta; from 10/May (twice daily)

Source: Airbus

Singapore – Amsterdam; from 9/May

Singapore – Dusseldorf; from 21/July

Based on the press release “Singapore Airlines becomes new operator of the A350 XWB”.